Founded by Zeno of Citium around 300 B.C, Stoicism is a Greek philosophy whose basic tenets lie in minimizing negative emotions and maximizing gratitude and joy. The aim of this was to teach people to be calm and brave in the face of adversity. The phrase ‘stoic calm’ comes from this and is used to mean a calm indifference to external events. The philosophy of stoicism was taken up by many but of worthy note was Lucius Seneca, a politician and writer, and Marcus Aurelius, a great Roman emperor. Stoic philosophy motivated a number of modern day precepts such as ascetism ( practiced in Islam, Christianity, Judaism etc.), Thomas Aquinas’ cardinal virtues, the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism, logo therapy and rational emotive behavioral therapy in psychology.
Freedom from suffering (thus happiness), the Greek stoics believed, came from accepting the moment as it presents and not allowing yourself to be controlled by the fear of pain or the desire for pleasure. With virtue being sufficient for happiness then, one would be emotionally resilient to misfortune. These 4 virtues of stoicism were:
Temperance
The discipline of fear and desire. Moderation in respect to normal pleasures and pains. This is in close relation to the modern practice of mindfulness. Temperance was a product of good self-discipline and decorum with the aim of maintaining objectivity in day-to-day operations.
Prudence
The knowledge of what is good and bad and the ability to discern the value of these different things rationally. It is the ability to act and respond to something in accordance to its value.
Justice
Fairness, kindness, benevolence in our dealings with other people. Marcus Aurelius regarded this the most important virtue and it is a product of impartiality and kindness.
Fortitude
Courage. The endurance of pain or discomfort guided by wisdom. The act of being bold and unmoved by fear. This is a product of constancy/determination and tension/vigor.
According to stoicism, turbulence or a disturbance to the calm indifference occurs when there’s a gap between what we fear might happen and what we hope could happen. This is applicable even today; every single day. You wake up late to head out to work. The bus to your workplace leaves at 7:00am or traffic in your area usually starts at about 7:00am. You arrive at the stop or get on the road at 7:15am. What you fear might happen is that the bus has already left and there’s traffic already. What you hope could happen is that the bus got delayed a bit and it’s still there or by a stroke of luck, traffic isn’t too bad yet. So what happens when what we hope for doesn’t happen? We get angry! Anger is the violent collision between hope and reality. So in this case, the bigger the gap between our fears and our hopes, the larger the oscillations will be; and with it the disruptions to peace. This gap can be reduced by appreciating what you have, recognizing what is not in your control and shunning materialism.
To be emotionally resilient to misfortune or to avoid misfortune we must never believe in the gifts of fortune as they are never our own. Our grip on them must be light and that way it would be easier to let go should it vanish. We must give up the illusion that what we are and what we do is so grandiose. We often exaggerate our own importance.
Adopting stoicism, therefore, can help us gain perspective and void us of anger, anxiety and the paranoia of modern life. And as with all philosophies, I believe, you mustn’t explain it; embody it and it propagates.
I leave you with the words of Seneca, Look at your wrists. There — at any time — lies freedom.
